Thread by @AntiRacistEd

Here attending the Tackling Scotland's Racism Problem conference - Aamer Anwar talking powerfully about deep institutional racism in the police, education

Will be tweeting throughout the day. Stay tuned!

Neil Davidson on "nae problem here" : Scotland deflects its racism onto its not being English - racism is somewhere else

Now a session on education: Stephen Mullen from UoG, Khadija Mohammed from UWS

"Scotland and Translatlantic Slavery: Addressing the Absences"

1990: sanitisation of "Merchant City" as a marketing strategy by Glasgow. Mullen: "more appropriately termed slave-owners city"

What has changed since 1990? Failure of Scottish history as a discipline to address history of slavery

TM Devine: did the slave trade make Scotia great?

On the Runaway Slaves project: effort to document such black slaves in Scotland and newspaper adverts pursuing runaways

Slavery connection with UoG: 200 gifts from profits of slavery to the university. Estimations of benefits to the uni of tens of millions of pounds

How to address? Make teaching about slavery Scotland-specific

Bequests stretch far after the end of slavery. Profits are historical and current

Teaching slavery in schools: research shows focus on English cities in schools - little recognition of Scottish complicity and involvement

Graphic novel "Freedom Bound" tells the story of a runaway slave in Scotland. A good resource for spreading awareness

Now @khadijamohamme8 Khadija: head of SAMEE and lecturer at UWS

@khadijamohamme8 Teachers of colour face pressures to assimilate and "play white" in Scottish schools

@khadijamohamme8 Enough about 'diversity': the focus needs to turn to whiteness

@khadijamohamme8 "I still get nervous when I talk about white privilege as a BME academic in a white institution"

@khadijamohamme8 Scotland's teachers are not equipped to deal with racism, contrary to policy statements

@khadijamohamme8 On the "myth of sameness": knowing oneself and being aware of privilege is key to tackling racism - no more "I don't see colour"

@khadijamohamme8 Teachers of colour feel their own religion/culture will necessarily hold them back from promotion. Have to be "whiter than white"

@khadijamohamme8 These teachers have an advantage in seeing contradictions and the biggest challenges in education due to their positions of oppression

@khadijamohamme8 Now Nasar Meer talking about race equality and policy in Scotland

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer on divergences from UK-wide approaches to race equality. Perception here is that we are more welcoming than the English

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer What evidence is there of a race-focused approach to inclusion/being fair? There is little to see in policy.

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer Some say "we serve the people and not just the state". But which people?

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer Race equality framework does not take into account the discursive nature of racism, how it is "made" and re-made

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer There is a general reticence to talk about racism in an open, honest way. Racism is "unwitting" and not indicative of deeper issues

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer Arguments made by policy makers that race equality movements are confused and not specific enough

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer There is a territoriality between race equality orgs due to a limited pot of funds - but main agent responsible is government

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer Now Carol Young from CRER

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer On performance of public sector equality duties: what have learned about strives towards greater equality?

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer There needs to be a duty to set equality outcomes. This will allow identification of worst inequalities and how to tackle

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer Solution 1: a more methodical approach to proving outcomes based on data - helps people avoid skirting the outcomes of racism

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer Oppressed peoples' voices need to be central. Evidence shows this improves outcomes

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer Accountability needs to be in place to ensure duties are being carried out

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer Now Rowena Arshad in "racism and anti-racism: learning from the past"

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Racism is still thought of as individual, irrational acts of prejudice. Racism is what "bad people" do

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Inclusion as part of GIRFEC does not take account of race. Inclusion helps perpetuate the "white master narrative"

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS POC can be "confused": internalised racism needs to be part of the conversation

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Now political panel! First up Gillian West from the Greens

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Greens are for "hope over hate" : supporter of bme rights, recognise that structural racism must be challenged

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Support for REF to tackle "pervasive racism across our society"

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Greens want to achieve a "diverse Scottish identity" - opposition to Prevent. Other policies focused on challenging the far right

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS And now Fulton McGregor MSP

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Racism is a big problem that needs to be tackled. "Equality and human rights" need to be a priority

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Schools dealing with racism are often well-intentioned but don't know how to deal with racism

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Feels like racism is creeping back into public discourse where it was less prominent before

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Final politician, Anas Sarwar

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS "I see no party politics at all in tackling racism"

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS People from different political walks of life need to come together

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS We need unity in times where people are becoming more polarised - but no mention from Anas on what the drivers of racism are

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS There needs to be media guidelines on reporting on Islam. Scotland needs to be a leader on this

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS "I don't believe Brexit would have happened without social media"

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Ideas: bme quotas for employment, anonymous CVs, strengthening BME role models

@khadijamohamme8 @NasarMeer @MorayHouseHoS Closing remarks from Maureen McBride: need to recognise disconnect between opening, welcoming political rhetoric and life outcomes of POC

Political messages need to be backed up with money. Critical history needs to be taught in schools